Cat baths in a bag

I was at Petsmart the other day and I noticed they had these 'baths in a bag" type of thing. I suppose it's a large wet-nap type of thing and the instructions say all you need to do is wrap your cat up in it, pet it's hair with the cloth, and then allow it to air dry.

Has anyone had any experiences with this product? I tried looking online for reviews, but I am unable to find any as of yet. I'm not quite ready to attempt a real bath for her (since she has been sick) and I don't want to cause any undue stress.

Sounds like a dry type of bath - with cornstarch or something. I just wash the cats in the tub If its not a dry bath, then its just a surface cleaning and not really a true bath to get to the skin - since it says to "pet the cat". You are not really getting the cat clean IMO.

If it's cat wipes, they do in fact work very well to clean a cat. You don't need to resort to real water bathing with a cat. Between the wipes and the cat's own cleaning, even a very dirty cat will get clean quickly.

Generally speaking, though, healthy cats don't need to be bathed and shouldn't be. They're quite capable of cleaning themselves.

I have show cats and even the non-show ones get occasional baths - it does NOT hurt them and usually helps them a lot.

I don't know why you think that cat wipes are getting a cat as clean as a normal bath - but they are not. No way can you get down to the skin and really get the cat clean all over. IMO its like taking the wipes and just wiping your hair - you think its clean, but down at the roots its still dirty.

My cats are normal and healthy and they love taking baths!

When people wash show cats, they're doing it for a specific purpose. It's for show, not because the cat is actually dirty. Cats are clean; this "dirty" is a human conception, often (not counting the specific exception of show cats) from people who are more familiar with dogs.

It actually isn't helpful for cats to interfere with their natural cleaning process. You're not supposed to strip oils from the skin and hair. Cats are excellent groomers. As to whether it hurts them, it doesn't cause them lasting physical damage, but try watching most cats get wet by their owners. They're sending a very clear message that what's being done to them is against nature.

No way can you get down to the skin and really get the cat clean all over. IMO its like taking the wipes and just wiping your hair - you think its clean, but down at the roots its still dirty.

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It's the cat who keeps himself clean. Cats are not the same species as humans. Humans weren't made to clean themselves by licking.

Let's agree to disagree on washing cats (pros or cons). I find no problem in doing so. If what you say is true, then why would show people wash their cats if they keep themselves as clean as you say they do ????

Most of my cats have been taught from a young age to accept bathing. I have a few of them that, even though they are now adults, still think the litter box is for playing in and occasional naps... and sometimes they get quite smelly. Despite all the cleaning they do themselves, a bath is required. I've tried the wipes but it seems that it just masks the odor for a little while but doesn't really solve the problem.

If what you say is true, then why would show people wash their cats if they keep themselves as clean as you say they do ????

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Because a great deal of elaborate ritual has built up around show cats. Do cats need blow drying, or ribbons, or haircuts? No. Saying cats are dirty because some people are washing them is like saying that cats have a ribbon deficiency because some people like to put ribbons on them.

Thanks for the replies. I ask mainly because I just adopted her last week and I wanted to get the shelter funk off of her. Plus she is shedding pretty hard and hair is a bit ruffled.

One of my friends uses some sort of dry bath cleansing cloths, and she likes them. Her cat is always rolling in the dirt (alot) and then wants to sleep in bed! Yucky, so for her they work fine. Her cat would probably slice up her arm if she tried to bathe her (btw hers is a siamese mix with kinda long hair). Hope that helps

My cat is indoor only and a clean freak, so I don't wash her.

My cats just use their tongues and their spotless. The white fur on Sophie has been commented on by people on more than one occasion asking if i bath her.

We only bathe Stanley when he starts to smell like a sweatsock (he's not the best groomer bless him). That is probably no more than 2 or 3 times a year. A month or so ago he stayed at the vet's for a dental cleaning and when he came back he smelled like the office. We didn't bathe him and within a couple of days he was back to his old self (smell wise).

Bella is an extremely good groomer and she keeps herself clean, shiny and sweet smelling. I just wish she would let me brush her because the hairballs are grody

I would say your kitty (if she's a good groomer, most are) will probably be able to get the smell off herself within a few days. Not all cats take well to bathing (they can get used to it) and it may be awful early in your relationship to do something that may be traumatic. Her age is also a factor. My cats were both adults when I got them, had they been kittens it might have been easier to introduce a regular bath.

I've used pet wipes on past cats and they worked just fine.

I used to bath my current cats (show cats) but don't bother anymore since it's not common to bath shorthairs over here. I will if they get too dirty outside, but otherwise just leave them to it.

I have bathed all of my cats a few times mostly because they got outside somehow. Seldon actually likes water so for him baths are fun. They rarely need them but I can understand why some people bathe them. My kittens look like they are going to be medium haired or longer so they WILL be getting regular washings.

I have never bathed my cats (and wouldn't dare to try - I would be a bloody mess! ). They are, as I like to say, self-cleaning. I'm thankful for that.

Good information here. . I don't plan on making baths a regular thing, I just figured it would be good to clean her after being in the shelter. Her fur is very ruffled and even after grooming her with a brush, it goes back to ruffled in very short time.

I just switched her to new food. She was on Science Diet at the shelter, but I moved her to Wellness. Hopefully this will help her coat, as well as the daily brushings I am giving her.

Sounds like a good course of action. Since the cat is new, stress (from the shelter experience, the new environment and the new diet) are probably causing excess shedding and poor coat condition. It should improve as she adjusts. I agree that trying to wash her now would be traumatic and make it harder for her to trust you.

I bathe my cats about twice a year. I don't think it's because an indoor cat gets dirty, per se, I think it's actually my own human oil that accumulates on their coats and makes it a bit greasy after a while. If you bathe fast, their skin never gets wet, anyway. You're just washing and rinsing the outer coat.

But I'm posting mainly 'cuz I'm interested in the anwer to the question in the OP and I'm subscribing to the thread.

I still would give your cat a bath - even if its the only one she gets. I've bathed kittens and adults cats and some did NOT live in my house, but friends/relatives wanted me to help them out.

I've never had a cat go nutz when washing. Some didn't like it much, but they really didn't give me a hard time and I didn't get scratched or bit either

If you want, bring her to my house, I'll be done washing her in 10 mins

When I adopted mine, I took them to the groomer for a spa day (bath, ear check, nail clipping where needed, anal expression). That was the last real bath (two DSH's).

I did notice that both of their coats really got nice after a while with me and a change to Nutro, etc. My boy, especially - when I first got him he shed like crazy, but now it's just regular shedding - a little stress shedding if we go to the vet.

I do use the furminator and a soft brush after a few times a week - they just like the feel of it, apparently.